I say ‘new’, but many people will have tried linocutting when they were very young – maybe at school – although these days with health and safety that may not be so common. Perhaps it has an association on the level of potato prints, but look at these examples by Edward Bawden and Ann Lewis: The wonderful thing about linocutting is that anyone can do it, and get great results. Making a mark or marks on a little piece of linoleum and then printing from it is a very satisfying experience that everyone should...

I’d like to start by saying that this blog is not for experienced scraperboard (aka scratchboard) artists who like to work in the ‘traditional’ manner, although it may be of interest if you want to try a different approach. Whilst I’ve been a professional illustrator and graphic designer for 30-odd years I’ve only recently started using scraperboard, so I’d like to share with you my take on this fantastic medium. If you are reading this I assume you are a creative person, and the beauty of scraperboard is that you don’t have to be a budding Leonardo to make an interesting picture (Da Vinci not Dicaprio!) The important thing is to find what works best for you and what you enjoy doing the...